Fish-plate for the rail-joints of railways and the like.



Ho. 845,564. a v PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

G. P. A. L. MBNARD. FISH PLATE FOR THE RAIL JOINTS OF R-AILWAYS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26.1906.

UNITED STATES P TEN OFFICE.

FISH-PLATE FOR THE RAIL-JOINTS OF RAILWAYS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed September 26, 1906. Serial No. 336.270.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Gnoncns PIERRE AU- GUSTE LoUIs MENARD, a subject of the King of the Belgians,and residing at La Louviere,

Belgium, have invented new and useful Improvements i'n Fish-Plates for the Rail-Joints bolts between the fish-plate-abutting stir-- faces of the rail; but as the rails are formed by rolling, the faces of the said abutting surfaces ofl'er marked irregularities and rough parts which produce on the clamping of the plates a considerable amount of friction, preventing the fish-plate from closing thor- 2 5 oughlynp toits workthat is to say, from occupylng between the two abutting sur faces thegeoinetrical position which 'itought to take and would take if the surfaces in contact were absolutely close, polished, and lu 3o bricated. 'There consequently remains a slight lay bet-ween the fish-plate and the rails,-w' ich increases with time and produces the loosenin of the plate, as wellas the loosening of thGiOltS. It has been thought that 3 5* it was suflicient in order to revent the danger of the loosening of the pates and bolts to sim I increase the ressure and attain 1 P y P l -have been made to arrive at this result by imparting to the fish-plates a bulged for m, so as to make a spring, but on tightening the bolts (this bein exerted, essentially, in the central-axis of the plate) the two branches of the plate come into contact at the same time with the opposing surfaces of contact and 45 form struts simultaneously, so that the plate acts as a spring from the commencement of the tightening up and cannot be clamped right up. Furthermore, with this arrangement the radii of oscillation of the parts of the plate are so small that these parts and in particular the parts corresponding to the abutting surface 01" the head of the rail do not slide tangentially with respect to this surface. There always remains, therefore, a small play or separation, especially at the head of the plate, which favors the dropping of the end of the rail and loadsin time to a slackening of tl:e clamping arrangement. Now ox- E perimcnts have shown that complete clamping of the fish-plate and the entire suppression of any play with a maximum of pressure may be obtained if the plate is allowed to be first tightened up, as usual, until it is stopped by the friction of the surfaces'to then put it out of shape and to correct or adjust by an independent advancement of its parts all play existing between the edges of the plate and the clamping-surfaces. This particular clamping effect is obtained in a sure manner by giving the plate a longitudinal told, with the result of producing clamping branches, able to oscillate independently one from the other and acting as a spring. These branches are preferably of unequal lengths, so as to 'bbtain for. the upper branch'the maximum length possible ;,of oscillating radius. This arrangement is best realized by makingthe' fold in such manner as to give tothe plate a zigzag shape, which to increase the possibility of the variation in form of the plate is preferably combined with a reduction of the thickness of the plate toward the external apex of the zigzag. This apex constitutes the axis of oscillation of the branches of the fish-plate. The reduction of the section is of course not carried so far as to interfere with the necessary strength of the plate.

The accompanying drawing shows a fishplate consteucted according to this invention. Figure ]-is a transverse section, and Fig. 2 is a front view, of a rail-joint provided with the'present system of fish-plate.

a, and b are the clamping-surfaces. c is the fish-plate forming the variable-shape wedge adjusting itself between these surfaces. Besides the ordinary .iold 5, here shown turned sharply inward, the plate is given a reverse [old at 4, so as to present a zigzag shape 1 2 3, Fig. 1. Thesection of the branch 1 is greatly reduced toward the posi tion of the fold 4-, as well-as the thickness of the shorter branch 2 3 being reduced toward the part4. These two branches 1, 2, and 3 thus form a spring and can oscillate within a certain limit about the axis 4. oscillation of the upper branch 1 is considerably longer than that of the lower branch 2 3. I

On the external face the part 1 of the plate The radius of 1 0 is preferablyprovided with a fiat surface intended to form a good seating for the heads of the bolts and for the nuts and to permit a uniform action of the two opposite sides of the with the play which remained between the clamping-surfaces and the plate and to increase considerably the supporting-pressure. The short branch 2 3 first slides quite home, the branch 1 then goes right in, and the tightening being continued the two branches separate until the in: xnnuin of separation is obtained, determined by the distance apart of the clamping-surface Having no. described my invention, 1 declare that what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A deformable fish-plate for rail-joints having a longitudinal told, an inset longitudinal part and a reduction of section increasing toward the apex of the fold, constructed states in such a manner as to have between the clampingsurtaees (he flanges) of the rail constituting non-- rical clamping branches and lorniin capable alter the resistance resulting; friction of the surleces in contact, of 5 out one from the other by sliding forward and independently one of the their, substantially as described.

2. A fislnplate for rail-joints having a longitudinal fold and a reverse told i'orining branches which operate as a spring and are adapted to oscillate about the reverse fold, the radius of oscillation of one branch being longer than that ol the other branch.

3. A fish-plate i'or rail-joints having a longitudinal fold and a reverse told forming branches, the sections of which reduced toward the reverse lold, said branches being adapted to operate as a spring and to oseil- 50 late about the reverse told independent of each other in testimony whereof 1 have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses Witnesses A. GRAETZ, GREGORY PIIELAIC. 

